Askia Mohammad Benkan

Askiya Muhammad Bonkana
Emperor of the Songhai Empire
Reign	1531 – 1537
Died	c. 1559
Predecessor	Askiya Musa (ruled 1429–1531)
Successor	Askiya Ismail (ruled 1537–1539)
Dynasty	Askiya Dynasty
Father	Umar Komadiakha, brother of Askiya al-hajj Muhammad

Extent of the Songhai Empire,
circa 1500.

Askia Mohammad Benkan, also Askiya Muhammad Bonkana, ruled the Songhai Empire from 1531 to April 1537. After Mohammad Benkan's uncle, the founder of the dynasty, Askia Mohammad, had grown old, his son Askia Musa deposed him in a bloodless coup, assuming the throne himself.

Shocked by Musa's ruthless actions to eliminate rivals Musa's brothers conspired together and killed him. Its was during this chaos that Benkan, the Kurmina-fari (the Kurmina Governor) and son of Umar Komadiakha (brother of Askia Mohammad), was able to seize control from Alu (one of the son's of Askia Mohammad) and take the position of Askia.

To secure his position Benkan then banished Askia Mohammad, his paternal uncle to the island of Kangaba, in the River Niger to the west of Gao. He appointed his brother Uthman to his former position as Kurmina-fari. The Tarikh al-Sudan contains this description of his court:

Askiya Muhammad Bonkana furbished the court splendidly, enlarging it, adorning it, and embellishing it with more courtiers than ever before. He supplied sumptuous garments, different types of musical instruments, and male and female singers. He gave out abundant largesse and benefactions. During his reign divine favours were bestowed, doors were opened, and blessings poured forth.

Benkan tried to reverse his uncle's policy of relying on the towns, preferring instead to gather support from the peasants. However after a series of military failures, most notably suffering a terrible defeat at the hands of Muhammadu Kanta, the Sarkin of Kebbi. Muhammad Benkan was himself deposed in 1537, and was succeeded by Askiya Ismail son of Askiya al-hajj Muhammad. Muhammad Bonkana went blind before he died in around 1559.

Kanta was once the Leka-fari and a Barde, one of the great captains of Askia Mohammed. However Kanta had revolted against Askia and with his followers moved into the territory of the Kebbawa taking control and establishing the independent state of Kebbi.

References

• Hunwick, John O. (2003), Timbuktu and the Songhay Empire: Al-Sadi's Tarikh al-Sudan down to 1613 and other contemporary documents, Leiden: Brill, ISBN 05856914 .
• Kâti, Mahmoûd Kâti ben el-Hâdj el-Motaouakkel (1913) (in French), Tarikh el-fettach ou Chronique du chercheur, pour servir à l'histoire des villes, des armées et des principaux personnages du Tekrour, Houdas, O., Delafosse, M. (ed. and trans.), Paris: Ernest Leroux, http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5439466q . Also available from Aluka but requires subscription.